Following a comprehensive review of the soil carbon market, Environmental Farmers Group (EFG) has announced agreements with Regenerate Outcomes and Ecometric, two leading UK-based soil carbon programme providers. This strategic affiliation will enable EFG members to access discounted rates and favourable terms to measure, manage and monetise soil carbon on their farms.
The review, which examined the integrity, methodology and market readiness of multiple providers, concluded that Regenerate Outcomes and Ecometric currently offer clear, robust and farmer-aligned programmes. As part of the new agreements, EFG members will receive savings of between £1/ha and £4/ha. As EFG’s Membership subscription fee is only £1.25/ha, this means that it is worth joining these soil carbon programmes as an EFG Member. Those who are members of the farmer cooperative will also benefit from selling together through existing networks of buyers, leveraging the cooperative’s scale (currently 387,000ha) to secure competitive pricing for members.
Supporting farmers to take control of carbon
Soil carbon programmes allow farmers to track and measure soil carbon over time, building datasets that support informed management decisions and can generate verified carbon credits. These credits can either be retained to offset on-farm emissions, sold to supply chain buyers, or sold on the voluntary carbon market, creating an additional income stream. The key is that farmers have control of what they do with their carbon.
The commercial opportunity of trading soil carbon depends on variables such as weather, farm management practices and soil types. This means that the amount of carbon stored in soil can go up and down year by year. However, on average over a 20-year period, EFG expects about 3tn/ha/annum CO2e could be stored in soil with a modest carbon price leading to a gross margin of around £60/ha/annum. This might be an important additional income stream for farms over the coming years.
Digby Sowerby, Managing Director of EFG, commented: “After careful analysis of the soil carbon market, we are pleased to endorse Regenerate Outcomes and Ecometric as trusted providers. Both offer high-integrity programmes that put decision-making firmly in the hands of farmers. Our priority is to ensure members can engage in carbon markets confidently, with access to transparent, science-based programmes that support both environmental outcomes and commercial resilience.”
High-integrity soil carbon
EFG has taken a pragmatic approach in assessing market providers, looking at both the scientific and commercial offering.
From an environmental perspective, EFG has been supported by Mark Kibblewhite of MK Soil Science Ltd and an Emeritus Professor at Cranfield University. Based on his work, EFG has decided that a ‘measure and remeasure’ approach to quantifying change in soil carbon and generating soil carbon credits is most appropriate for decision making and for trading high-integrity carbon credits. Both Ecometric and Regenerate Outcomes complete intensive physical sampling with carbon traded based on outcomes rather than being purely modelled.
From a commercial perspective, Trethowans (solicitors and EFG sponsors) and Natural Capital Advisory have acted for EFG in reviewing the legal agreements that farmers will need to sign to participate in soil carbon programmes. Although both programmes comprise of long-term commitments, both offer methods to exit early and EFG has also negotiated specific terms for EFG Members to ensure its members have the ability to own the soil carbon data generated.
Advantage of Scale
EFG will facilitate trading carbon credit sales (where members wish to trade) through its existing network of buyers, leveraging the cooperative’s scale to secure competitive pricing for members. As well as benefiting members, its size offers an advantage to buyers seeking significant quantities of high-integrity, UK-based carbon credits through a single point of contact. Overall, EFG is aiming to achieve over 50,000tn CO2e carbon sequestration in 2026, clearly demonstrating how farmers can contribute to national environmental targets whilst increasing farm profitability.
EFG Members have received full information on the offers available to them and EFG has held two information sessions in early November. Farmers who are not yet members but are interested to learn more are encouraged to either express an interest in joining EFG (using this link: Environmental Farmers Group) , or to email efg@gwct.org.uk for more information.
Ecometric CEO, David Wright added: “We are excited to work with EFG to scale routine soil carbon monitoring across their membership, in support of improved soil management and the generation of financial reward for capturing and storing carbon dioxide.”
Regenerate Outcomes Director, Tom Dillon added: “We’re delighted to be partnering with Environmental Farmers Group to enable more farmers to see the benefits of improved soil health on their farm, through the package of bespoke mentoring plus revenues from soil carbon credits. Now is the right time for British farmers to secure a soil carbon baseline so that the environmental benefits they’re delivering on farm can be recognised and rewarded now and in the future.”
